Azizee Fawmi Khan: Artistic Representation of Culture and Women

Azizee Fawmi Khan is a visual artist and independent curator based in Dhaka. She specializes in exploring personal heritage, the feminine side of resilience, and Bangladesh's multicultural identity. Azizee portrays her own stories by intertwining drawings and paintings on paper and canvas. Her storytelling techniques are broad and personal, often based on collaborations with other local artists.

Azizee completed her post-graduation in Drawing and Painting from the University of Dhaka. Her first significant exposure came with her participation in the 18th Asian Art Biennale in 2018, held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka. Her solo exhibition, Ka'-Shommondhiyo, held at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka in 2021, introduced her practice more fully to Dhaka's contemporary art scene.

As a British Council grantee, Azizee exhibited in Dhaka's UK through the art projects CollaborArtists (2020) and Artists Make Space (2022). She also participated in Documenta Fifteen in Kassel, Germany, in 2022, representing Britto Arts Trust. Additionally, she has worked with several reputable art organizations, including Brihatta Art Foundation, Edge Gallery, and the EMK Center in Dhaka, often through grants and residencies, which have further expanded her practice and contributed to the local art community.

The British Council and the EMK Center have aided Azizee's creative pursuits with grants, which have furthered her talents. As a curator, Azizee'sings a thoughtful approach to her exhibitions, focusing on meaningful narratives and themes. Song of Whales (2023) at La Galerie, Dhaka, a narrative exhibition featuring an animated film by Afroza Hossain Sara, explored endangered marine life and the intersection of storytelling and visual art. She has also initiated the ongoing miniaturesque art project Doob since 2020, which invites young artists to reflect on the endangered and extinct biodiversity of Dhaka while considering the broader implications of ecological heritage.

Concept Note on the Artwork

Azizee's creative process is profoundly shaped by her experiences of growing up in all-women households and later living in all-women dormitories. From sisters—related and embraced—to playmates, roommates, and fellow artists, a continuous thread of sisterhood runs through her life. This sense of solidarity mirrors the support system her mother relies on as well.

At the heart of these narratives is Nargees, Azizee's mother, who raised two daughters as a single parent. Her rare moments of respite became a source of inspiration for the artist—the strength of a generation of women who aspired to raise independent daughters despite their upbringings shaped by rigid social expectations.

The Sharee, seamlessly embedded in Azizee's work, serves as both a personal and cultural emblem—a symbol of heritage, resilience, and the quiet grace of womanhood in Bangladesh.